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Our Top Picks
Most Powerful
Power Products USA Ion 1300
- 1300 PSI
- Quiet operation
- Fast charging and long battery life
Most Portable
Ivation Multi Purpose Washer
- 130.5 PSI
- 4.5 Gallon Tank
- Weighs only 17 pounds
Highest Capacity
Sun Joe SPX6001c-XR
- 800 PSI
- 5.3 Gallon onboard bucket
- 4 wheels for easy mobility
Best Cordless Battery Powered Pressure Washers: Winners
- Highest Capacity – Sun Joe iON SPX6001C-XR
- Most Compact – WORX Hydroshot WG625.4
- Most Portable – Ivation Multi Purpose Washer
- Most Powerful – Power Products USA Ion 1300
- Upgrade Pick – mrliance MR-XK005233
Pressure washers are wonderful tools.
They turn dingy, dirty, old surfaces into bright, colorful, new-looking bricks, decks, siding, or whatever you need to intensely clean[1].
A good pressure washer can do miracles.
But those miracles have constraints. Pressure washers need both water and electricity!
What if you need to clean something far from your house’s electrical hookup?
That’s what cordless battery powered pressure washers are for. They use a charged battery to spray out that water and sometimes even hold their own water!
But like any power tool, some are good and some are not.
Let’s look at the best portable and battery operated pressure washers.
The Best Cordless Battery Powered Pressure Washers
Highest Capacity
Sun Joe iON SPX6001C-XR
Click the image for more specs
Specs
- Max Pressure: 800 PSI
- Max Flow Rate: 0.79 GPM
- Battery: 5.0 Ah
- Operating Time: 45 Minutes
- Charging Time: Not Stated
- Water Source: 5.3 Gallon Onboard Bucket
Overview
The Sun Joe iON SPX6001C-XR is one of the most-recommended portable power washers you’ll find online.
So, let’s get this out of the way:
The Amazon page has inaccurate information.
For some reason, the initial blurb states that the iON can put out 1 gallon per minute at 1160 PSI.
It’s not until later you’ll find that the true flow rate is 0.79 GPM at 800 PSI, which is not as impressive.
That’s not to say that the Sun Joe is a bad unit!
It comes with a 5.0 amp-hour battery that can power the iON at full power for 30-45 minutes.
The rectangular tank holds a whopping 5.3 gallons of water, which is more than any other battery powered power washer!
…that’s only six minutes and forty seconds of washing at maximum power, but that’s the best out there right now.
However, some of the iON’s design leaves much to be desired.
The water hose is perpendicular to the wheels so you have to move to the unit to relocate it.
Also, some of the fittings are made of weaker plastic than they should be.
This shouldn’t be a problem so long as you practice proper pressure washer maintenance.
Also, don’t miss our comparison of the SPX3000, SPX4000, and SPX4001 models.
Pros
- Four wheels for easy relocation
- Large capacity and detachable 5.3 gallon water bucket
- TSS (Total Stop System) saves power by turning off the pump when you let go of the trigger
Cons
- 800 PSI may not be enough to strip new paint
- Can’t move the unit with the hose
- Questionable design decisions
- Weak fittings
Recommendation
The Sun Joe iON SPX6001C-XR is a high-capacity portable cordless pressure washer that’s capable of washing for a longer period of time than other portable pressure washers. This makes it great for boats, docks, and other far-off areas, if you keep its strength limitation in mind.
Most Compact
WORX Hydroshot WG625.4
Click the image for more specs
Specs
- Max Pressure: 320 PSI
- Max Flow Rate: 0.53 GPM
- Battery: 2.0 Ah
- Operating Time: 15 Minutes
- Charging Time: 5 Hours
- Water Source: Garden Hose or External Water Source
Overview
The WORX Hydroshot is a battery-powered attachment for your garden hose that turns it into a compact pressure washer.
It comes with a 2.0 amp-hour battery that powers a 320 PSI flow of half a gallon per minute, for 15 minutes.
That’s not very long but this isn’t supposed to be a high-powered deck stripper, so it lasts just long enough.
The Hydroshot pressure washer gives you enough pressure to blast mud off canoes, off-road vehicles, and other dirty objects without damaging the underlying paint.
You can turn down the pressure enough to gently water your plants as well.
The Hydroshot can draw water from a garden hose or from an external water source, such as a bucket or freshwater pond (don’t use saltwater!).
Various attachments, which come with the tool, increase its versatility.
This biggest downside of the Hydroshot is its charging time.
This is no quick-charge device. You’ll have to wait 5 hours for that 15 minutes of work!
I’m sure you’ll be able to leverage this into a pro, though:
“It’s charging, dear!”
You can get a 4.0 amp-hour version that nearly doubles the flow rate to 0.92 GPM at 350 PSI for about $30 more.
Pros
- Comes with cleaning accessories
- Compact design
- Flexible water source
- Won’t damage paint
Cons
- Not powerful enough for tough tasks
- Short operating time
- Slow charge time
Recommendation
The Hydroshot isn’t good for tough cleaning jobs but it makes cleaning your car easy.
Most Portable
Ivation Multi Purpose Washer
Click the image for more specs
Specs
- Max Pressure: 130.5 PSI
- Max Flow Rate: Not Stated
- Battery: 12v Sealed Lead Acid Battery
- Operating Time: Not Stated (Enough for an SUV)
- Charging Time: Under 1 Hour
- Water Source: 4.5 Gallon Tank
Overview
The Ivation Multi Purpose Washer is a portable power washer with a built-in water tank.
At only 130.5 PSI, it’s a “low” pressure washer.
You can use it to wash off your dog but not strip your deck!
Despite this, the lightweight construction and 4.5 gallon capacity makes this washer very portable.
It’s good for apartments and storing in your vehicle.
In fact, you can charge this washer off of your car’s cigarette lighter!
There’s a switch to run off of external power (though not a car) or the battery. Make sure it’s in the right position or you may think the unit isn’t functional.
By the way, the included washers aren’t very high quality.
Many users replace them with better washers from Home Depot or Lowes.
Pros
- Battery lasts a surprising amount of time
- Weighs only 17 pounds so you can carry it anywhere
Cons
- Not a true pressure washer
- Nozzle adjustment has no stops between “light flow” and “removing the nozzle”
- Weak washers
Recommendation
The Ivation Multi Purpose Washer is a pressure “rinser” instead of a true pressure washer but it’s a great, mobile choice for people who need water when no hoses are around.
Most Powerful
Power Products USA Ion 1300
Click the image for more specs
Specs
- Max Pressure: 1300 PSI
- Max Flow Rate: 1.2 GPM
- Battery: Lithium Ion (Capacity Not Stated)
- Operating Time: 35 Minutes
- Charging Time: 1 Hour
- Water Source: Garden Hose or External Water Source
Overview
Let’s go from a weak washer to a truly strong cordless pressure washer!
The Power Products USA Ion 1300 is so-named because it puts out a whopping 1,300 PSI at 1.2 gallons per minute.
Despite this power, the battery will still last for 35 minutes at full blast. Your actual operating time will be longer because the TSS turns off the pump when you let go of the trigger.
You’ll need to attach a garden hose to use this unit, so while it’s a cordless battery operated pressure washer it’s not hoseless.
Oddly enough, the pump doesn’t draw in water. The Ion 1300 is designed to be operated with a garden hose pushing at least 35 PSI into the washer.
You can still use a water bucket if you place it high above the washer, though.
The main problem with the Ion 1300 is the lack of compatibility with other pressure washer components.
The hoses and wand are proprietary and slightly larger than standard pressure washer hoses.
Pros
- Good battery life
- Surprisingly quiet
- Quick charge
- Very powerful for a battery operated pressure washer
Cons
- May damage paint
- Requires pressurized water
- Incompatible with standard pressure washer accessories
Recommendation
If you need plenty of pressure and can’t or don’t want to use an electric or gas-operated pressure washer then the Power Products USA Ion 1300 is your best choice.
Upgrade Pick
mrliance MR-XK00523
Click the image for more specs
Specs
- Max Pressure: 960 PSI
- Max Flow Rate: 1.2 GPM
- Battery: Lithium Ion (Capacity Not Stated)
- Operating Time: Not Stated
- Charging Time: 3 Hours
- Water Source: External Water Source
Overview
The mrliance MR-XK005233 is basically a more expensive and more powerful version of the WORX Hydroshot.
It works the same way by being a battery operated wand you attach to your garden hose.
The lithium-ion battery charges in three hours. The operating time isn’t stated but users have reported much longer times (over an hour?) than the Hydroshot’s 15 minutes!
That’s despite maxing out at 960 PSI and 1.2 GPM, which is a lot of flow for such a small device!
It can feed from an external water source such as a water bucket, swimming pool, or freshwater pond.
Using a garden hose, however, requires an adapter which doesn’t come with the pressure washer!
The nozzle has six different spray patterns, a soap inlet, and an extendable section.
There’s even a safety device so young children won’t cause a mess!
Pros
- Comes with two batteries
- Relatively long operating time
- Wand can be extended
Cons
- Not quite powerful enough to strip paint
- Requires an adapter to use a garden hose
Recommendation
The mrliance MR-XK005233 is more powerful than expected and is a great choice for long jobs due to its long operating time and spare battery but it’s still not quite powerful enough to strip paint.
What to Look For in a Cordless Battery Powered Pressure Washer
The primary consideration when choosing a pressure washer is what you want to do with the pressure washer.
A good paint stripper can weaken the paint enough for a weaker battery powered power washer to take off paint
Stripping Paint
So, let’s start with the obvious:
Can you strip paint with a cordless battery operated pressure washer?
Most likely, no.
2,500 PSI is about the minimum pressure you need before you can take off paint[2]. You just can’t get that much power from a battery powered pressure washer.
Though, you may be able to get by with a strong battery powered pressure washer if you use plenty of paint stripper[3].
Deep Cleaning
Cleaning sidewalk cement and wood decks will require enough power to test the bounds of cordless pressure washers.
You want 1,000 to 1,500 PSI for this purpose and only one battery powered pressure washer is in this range: Power Products USA’s Ion 1300.
Cleaning residue off vinyl siding may require as much as 3,000 PSI, so deep cleaning is still only barely within the domain of pressure washers.
Cleaning Mud
Cordless pressure washers shine when you’re cleaning muddy objects such as kayaks or mountain bikes before you take them home.
You’ll want more than 500 PSI for this purpose unless you get to the mud quickly, in which case even a 130 PSI unit can still get your bike clean enough to not cause a mess.
Light Cleaning, Such as Car Washing
Basically any cordless pressure washer will be good enough for an easy day of cleaning your car.
Light pressure washers are also good for washing your dog, watering your plants, cleaning camping equipment, rinsing saltwater off your boat, and other non-intensive tasks you may have to perform far from a water hookup.
To Tank or Not To Tank
A Sun Joe iON being filled from a pond
There are two basic types of cordless pressure washers on this list:
- Tank (or Bucket)
- Tankless
Tankless pressure washers will still require an external source of water, whether a bucket or a lake.
Tank pressure washers carry the water with them, though you’ll still need to fill them up from somewhere!
Tankless pressure washers are better for around the apartment and yard while tank pressure washers do a good job when taken for a trip.
Conclusion
Cordless battery powered pressure washers are not as strong as their plugged-in or gas-powered counterparts.
But if you don’t need to strip paint then you may not need the bulk and expense of a corded model.
Battery operated pressure washers are easy to use whether you’re at home or at the docks. You won’t get tangled up in an electrical cord and there’s no chance of spraying water on an outlet to which you’re connected!
